Armaan. Part I
I was sipping my coffee in the usual cafe, it was nice, and the weather, for the usual rainy day, was very breezy but warm. Wind was everywhere. The site from inside of the cafe was ecstatic. The street wasn't crowded with the usual people that stroll around the flea market, a few groups of tourists and nothing else, unusual day for this city. The baristas were very nice to me and the waitress was actually being nice to me.
From where I sit, I could see the whole street without even have to move, but I believe that the people outside can't see me, so it wasn't weird for me when Rob couldn't see me when he first came inside the cafe. He was, as usual, wearing his flannel shirt and black jeans, there was something in his eyes that I can't see but I know it was there, somewhat loneliness and sadness with a hit of desperation. I whistle when I saw him searching for me and he smiled and ran to where I sat.
"'Sup, man?" I greeted.
"Good good, hey listen, mate, there's something I gotta tell you." I eyed him suspiciously.
"Remember when you said to me that you missed her so much and you need to know where she is?"
I nodded and put down my newspaper. "Well, I know where she is,"
"Where?" I immediately sat straight and became aware for only his voice, nothing else mattered.
"D'you remember where you last seen her?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "It was on the corner of Lucid Street when she said goodbye to me, it was the last time I saw her. She was wearing her usual floor-length skirt, looking gypsy as always. That was... the last time."
He nodded gracefully. "Well, there's somethin' I gotta tell you. She... left."
I felt as if a shocking lightning strike through my very soul. The girl that I love, she left. I swallowed hard. "How? When? Why?"
"Why, I don't know, but when, it was four a.m. yesterday. I di'n't notice it first but she looked like she wasn't very happy the night before, I figured that there was problem with you, yeah? Cause I barely see you both together anymore, so I di'n't bother to ask, cuz, I mean... she got problems with you, not me, we are best mates, but I ain't gonna mess with your shit. I heard some noise and I was half-sleepin' and I saw her standing in front of the door an' ready to open them, but I di'n't say anything, cuz, I thought she was just trippin' or somethin', not sayin' she is, but I thought she was daydreamin' an' all that shit. But thing is, she looked like she was in deep shit and ready to leave, so I was like 'Okay, fine, she's gonna leave.', but then I saw vaguely that she kissed me goodbye on my forehead an' the rest of the tenants in the loft, I saw this cuz there was huge party goin' on in our basement an' to get out of our loft you should go through the basement an' we were asleep, well, they were, I was half-asleep. As she opened the door, I saw she was smiling and then she left."
I didn't know how to react the information. How to digest them. The girl that I love, that I want to marry, the girl that I saw as my bride, that I just introduced to my parents, that I promised the world for her, left. She left. Left. Left me. Why.
"Why didn't you stop her?" I asked.
He lit up a cigarette and started to smoke. "Everythin' went too fast, man. I can barely recall what she said about you when she kissed me."
I wanted to punch him right then and there. He was my best mate, but I couldn't believe that the last person she kissed goodbye was him, not me. The guy that would give everything in his world just to be with her, why not me. "What did she say?" I managed to ask.
"I forgot mate, but there was your name an' 'sorry' an'... shit forgot. Wait a minute, wait a minute, I think I remember, but don't kill me for sayin' this, yeah?"
I nodded. "Go on."
"She said, 'Tell Armaan I'm sorry for leaving in a hurry, I just can't take it anymore... bla bla bla... I'm moving on. It's not us, it's not me, it's not you, but all those things that keep happening to me always haunting me wherever I go, so I need to leave, cause I can't take it anymore.' or somethin' like that. She di'n't say where she wanted to go, only left."
I punched the table, left my money and went back home, leaving Abdul's mouth hanging open.
"D'you remember where you last seen her?"
"Yeah." I nodded. "It was on the corner of Lucid Street when she said goodbye to me, it was the last time I saw her. She was wearing her usual floor-length skirt, looking gypsy as always. That was... the last time."
He nodded gracefully. "Well, there's somethin' I gotta tell you. She... left."
I felt as if a shocking lightning strike through my very soul. The girl that I love, she left. I swallowed hard. "How? When? Why?"
"Why, I don't know, but when, it was four a.m. yesterday. I di'n't notice it first but she looked like she wasn't very happy the night before, I figured that there was problem with you, yeah? Cause I barely see you both together anymore, so I di'n't bother to ask, cuz, I mean... she got problems with you, not me, we are best mates, but I ain't gonna mess with your shit. I heard some noise and I was half-sleepin' and I saw her standing in front of the door an' ready to open them, but I di'n't say anything, cuz, I thought she was just trippin' or somethin', not sayin' she is, but I thought she was daydreamin' an' all that shit. But thing is, she looked like she was in deep shit and ready to leave, so I was like 'Okay, fine, she's gonna leave.', but then I saw vaguely that she kissed me goodbye on my forehead an' the rest of the tenants in the loft, I saw this cuz there was huge party goin' on in our basement an' to get out of our loft you should go through the basement an' we were asleep, well, they were, I was half-asleep. As she opened the door, I saw she was smiling and then she left."
I didn't know how to react the information. How to digest them. The girl that I love, that I want to marry, the girl that I saw as my bride, that I just introduced to my parents, that I promised the world for her, left. She left. Left. Left me. Why.
"Why didn't you stop her?" I asked.
He lit up a cigarette and started to smoke. "Everythin' went too fast, man. I can barely recall what she said about you when she kissed me."
I wanted to punch him right then and there. He was my best mate, but I couldn't believe that the last person she kissed goodbye was him, not me. The guy that would give everything in his world just to be with her, why not me. "What did she say?" I managed to ask.
"I forgot mate, but there was your name an' 'sorry' an'... shit forgot. Wait a minute, wait a minute, I think I remember, but don't kill me for sayin' this, yeah?"
I nodded. "Go on."
"She said, 'Tell Armaan I'm sorry for leaving in a hurry, I just can't take it anymore... bla bla bla... I'm moving on. It's not us, it's not me, it's not you, but all those things that keep happening to me always haunting me wherever I go, so I need to leave, cause I can't take it anymore.' or somethin' like that. She di'n't say where she wanted to go, only left."
I punched the table, left my money and went back home, leaving Abdul's mouth hanging open.